The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 265

The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I’m a “Farmer”, Not a Demon King! ~

Chapter 265   Start of village tour

Two days later, we were prepared and riding in carriages.

“Alright, let’s depart.”

As I said that, several carriages formed a line and started moving.

Yesterday, Flora made some Treant seeds for us, and with that handed over, they should be sufficient for village defense once they grow.

“I’ve been outside the city before, but I’ve never traveled away like this.”

“Yeah, I’ve been to the elf forest and neighboring towns, but I’ve never traveled like this.”

“Flora’s looking forward to it too.”

Flora, who now had a physical body, agreed with Kyle and Bell’s conversation. Come to think of it, these guys have never experienced a proper journey, have they?

“Hehe! You guys are still inexperienced! I, on the other hand, have already set out on a journey and gained valuable experiences!”

“That’s right. You haven’t had the ‘valuable experience’ of being enslaved like me.”

Lilia boasts, but, hey, Lilia, you ended up getting caught when you tried to follow us without permission.

It’s not incorrect to call it a ‘valuable experience,’ but I wouldn’t want to go through it. If I hadn’t found her, she would have become a slave without any issue.

“But, now that I think about it, you guys haven’t experienced that, huh? Well, it’s just a two-week journey, and there’s not much interesting in visiting villages. Flora, haven’t you at least heard about it even if you haven’t been?”

This time, even though we call it a journey, we’re just going to visit some nearby villages. We won’t be doing anything significant, so it’s not that exciting.

However, in response to my words, Kyle shook his head.

“Vesnar-sama. Those are the words of someone who’s been around. We’ve never seen a village in the first place, so even if you say it’s not interesting, there are things we’re looking forward to a bit.”

“Flora knows even if she hasn’t been there.”

“Is that so? Well, I felt the same way at first.”

“…Honestly, it would have been nice if you could have gone on a journey with me.”

When Kyle said that, it felt like he was blaming me for my incompetence or inadequacy, and it stung a bit.

But he probably didn’t intend that. Rather, in his case, I think he’s blaming himself.

“That… couldn’t be helped, right? It was the result of fulfilling our duty as guards.”

“Well, yeah. But even now, thinking back, it pisses me off, those guys.”

“Don’t worry about them. They’re already crushed.”

Certainly, I was angry at the central figures, and because of showing mercy to them, my comrades got hurt. That’s why, to wipe my own ass and to vent my anger, I went out myself.

Now there’s no more division like central and no boss to control. The mansion that used to be the boss’s residence is also gone.

So there’s no need to think about those guys anymore. In fact, it’s a waste of time to even consider such things.

“Yeah, when I heard you went to crush them, I was pretty pissed.”

However, in response to my words, Kyle sighed with a dissatisfied expression.

“Holding a grudge against me?”

“Yeah. I thought, ‘Now I won’t have a chance to get revenge on those guys.'”

“Well… at that time, I was pretty pissed too. I charged ahead without thinking about the consequences. It was youthful recklessness.”

“You’re still young.”

Saying that, we laughed together, but the mental age… well, it doesn’t feel like it has changed much, so in terms of the age of the soul? If that’s the case, I’m almost twenty years older than Kyle.

“Well, well, compared to me, everyone is young.”

Certainly, Lilia felt like she was almost a hundred years old, so in terms of the number of years lived, she surpassed even my past life.

“But if there’s no substance, it doesn’t matter.”

However, that’s just about having lived for a long time. If there’s no corresponding knowledge, experience, or dignity for one’s age, it’s just a waste of time.

“That’s right. Without substance, it’s meaningless even if you get older.”

But it seems like she doesn’t think my words were directed at her, as Lilia nodded along without realizing it. In a way, it’s quite remarkable.

“Do you really have such a splendid substance?”

“Huh? Of course, I do.”

No way.

…Well, I want to say that, but considering she has had some remarkable achievements, it’s not entirely without substance.

However, it’s pointless to say anything to her now. Saying something useless here will only tire me out. Thinking that, I let out a sigh.

“We’ve arrived at the village.”

After being rocked in the carriage for a while, we reached the village we had aimed for. We hadn’t actually arrived yet, but we could see the situation from the window.

But…

“Something feels gloomy, doesn’t it? It’s a dark atmosphere.”

Indeed. As Kyle said, when we got off the carriage and walked around, the overall atmosphere of the village felt subdued.

I’ve felt this kind of atmosphere before, somewhat similar to that time. It feels like bandits have appeared nearby, a sensation like that.

“What’s going on? Is something wrong?”

“Is everyone in the houses feeling down?”

“Yeah, right. Or maybe this is normal?”

After hearing Flora’s words and nodding, Kyle turned towards me and asked, but it seems different from what I know, so I don’t think it’s normal.

“No, I don’t think it’s normal, but…”

“Considering the situation, can we really call it abnormal?”

“Sofia? Is there something abnormal about this village?”

“This place originally belonged to another territory. However, it fell under the control of the ruler of Karakas, the city of criminals, so it can’t continue as usual.”

Ah, I see. I felt a similarity to the village where bandits appeared earlier, but in this case, we might be the ‘bandits.’

Certainly, this place used to be a somewhat oppressive but livable location. Suddenly being told, ‘Now this place is under the control of the ruler of the city of criminals,’ it’s not something to be pleased about, and life can’t continue as usual.

“Oh, right. I forgot that I’ve been living there, so my sense of normalcy was skewed.”

“Originally, this village was suffering from heavy taxes, and due to its location, it had connections with Karakas. So, it might not be as bad as it sounds, but there will still be anxiety and dissatisfaction.”

Ah, I see. Even though it wasn’t on the main road, I haven’t heard about this area being attacked until now, and their lives seemed somewhat harsh, so maybe they aren’t making a fuss. However, there’s still bound to be some impact, and with a group like ours coming from Karakas, the atmosphere is inevitably going to worsen.

“Solving these various issues is also one of the goals this time. Well, I won’t go so far as to say we’ll solve everything, but if we can get them to listen to us at least, that would be good enough.”

It might be challenging for them to immediately become obedient to us, but if we can have a normal conversation, that should be sufficient for now.

At the very least, I hope there won’t be any panicking or running away. Even if this village is now under Karakas’s control, if the villagers don’t flee, I think it’s fine. They can’t say they’re under Karakas’s rule while staying in this village.

“Everyone is fleeing so thoroughly…”

However, as we actually entered the village, the moment the villagers saw us, even from a distance, they scattered like spiders running away.

“Why?”

“Well, with this many people, it’s expected. You must have known this would happen. Why did you bring so many people?”

Around us were not only my usual followers but also dozens of my father’s subordinates, all armed. If they understand the current situation in this village, their reaction is quite natural.

While it may seem pointless to run away or hide in their houses, I can understand it emotionally.

Although I brought people who at least had relatively decent appearances this time, just being residents of Karakas is enough to make them afraid.

“It’s not reasonable for us to go on a two-week trip alone.”

However, even if you praise us for our appearance, I wish they had considered the number as well. Why do we have to bring this many people?

“Even so, the last journey was just the two of us.”

“That was a personal matter. But this time, it’s something for the city—or rather, the country. It wouldn’t be fitting to conduct inspections with just a few people.”

“Is that so?”

Well, even if I understand that it’s for appearances, now that I’ve become a king, there’s a certain expectation to bring a retinue on such occasions. However, honestly, I don’t think it’s necessary.

“That’s how it is. The impact conveyed through appearances is surprisingly significant. And to leave a better impression, I’ve heard that they chose people who at least look decent.”

“Exactly. We’re not just here for the bosses and young masters; we need to do our jobs too.”

“Emil, huh? Well, I understand that, but seeing how blatantly we’re being avoided, I can’t help but think we should have brought fewer people.”

As we discuss the seemingly useless companions with Sofia, Emil, one of my father’s subordinates, appeared.

“Well, there wasn’t much choice at the beginning. You’ll have to get used to it because it’s likely to be the same in the future. Besides, we do need manpower, right?”

“Well, if you think about what needs to be done, having more people is better. But… is it okay?”

While saying that, I glance around, but from my perspective, even normal folks from Karakas might look like savages to the villagers.